Amish Funeral: An Outsider’s Observations
In an article for Ashland County Pictures, Joe Lyons gives a poignant look at an Amish funeral from an outside observer’s eyes.
That’s paired with some beautiful photos of the procession to the cemetery. This procession happened on State Route 96 in Ashland County.
The area outside the city of Ashland is home to a sizable Amish settlement. The procession of buggies, vans, and people walking was guided by the County Sheriff’s Office.
Here’s an excerpt:
At the base of the hill, horses stood in solemn silence, their hooves taking turns trudging carefully up the slope as if sharing in the weight of the moment. The rhythmic creak of buggy wheels and the muffled steps of families walking hand-in-hand replaced the usual sounds of traffic, creating a stillness that spoke louder than words.
Friends and family had traveled from across Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and communities throughout Ohio to pay their final respects. Gathered in traditional black and white attire, the Amish community carried forward customs passed down through generations.
The casket—simple, wooden, was lowered into the earth by family and neighbors, without decorative headstones or modern ceremony. Instead, quiet hymns sung in Pennsylvania Dutch, the reading of Scripture, and the collective presence of the community marked the farewell.
I recommend reading the whole thing and viewing the seven photos here.
Amish Funeral Customs
An Amish funeral is a solemn occasion, but also a time for visiting and socializing with people who have come from afar to pay their respects to the deceased.
We’ve looked at the topic in various posts here through the years. I described one such experience at an Amish funeral I attended in another part of Ohio.
Amish church member Rebecca Miller also shared a longer account of a funeral of an Amish grandfather with us in this guest post. She describes the effort that goes into preparing for hundreds of guests, handling things like food, seating, and managing horses.
Amish church member Dorcas Raber also describes the viewing before the funeral, and burial, here. Here’s a description of the viewing, they day before the actual funeral:
We arrived at 4 p.m. to attend the viewing and there was a line that was slowly moving. The viewing, which was in its second day, was held in a shop with rows of benches and chairs set up for family and friends.
Right next to the casket was Naomi and all of her six children and their partners. How they had loved and appreciated him. They have precious memories of taking care of their Dad the last weeks. In fact, the night prior to his death, all six children had been there. At such a time, family ties become all the more sweet and strong.
After we went through the line, we sat down for supper, which was being served to 175 people by the local church. It was delicious and included hobo stacks, brownies and ice cream. So many people came out to show their love and sympathy to the grieving family.
And on the burial:
At the graveyard, the minister shared several thoughts, and several more songs were sung. The first one was “Goodnight, My Beloved.” This song is sung at most every Amish gravesite funeral.
Next, the family was singing “that will be my last long move I’ll have to make,” and many others joined in. Slowly, the casket was lowered and then many hands helped cover the grave.
At the very last, there was complete silence as everyone quietly prayed and said the Lord‘s Prayer.
The end of one’s earthly journey, an Amish funeral is a solemn occasion but one with an eye to God’s Kingdom. As Rebecca shares:
And so life goes on, with sorrow as is understandable. But also with acceptance, a quiet joy, and a living hope and faith that Grandpa is in a better place, spending eternity with the one he served all his life. He left a great example for all to follow. “We mourn not as those who have no hope.”
Lights
Are those reflectors I see? I think so! Guess they broke under the iron fist of the government!